Top



c. GARNISS. TOP.

APPLICATIO OCT 20, 19l7. 1,355,601. Patented 0@t.12,1920,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CHARLES GARNIS S, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. 12, 1920.

Application filed October 20, 1917. SeriaINo. 197,533.

1 o 71 an/mm it may concern. I

Le it known that 1 CHARLES GARNIss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island. have invented certa in new and useful Improvements in Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tops and particularly to improvements in tops of that class whose constructionincludes a spring adapted to be wound up and used to spin the top with.

Tops of the kind referredto have heretofore usually been constructed with a separable handle or stem by means of which the spring was wound up which was objection able for the reason that the stem was separated from the body of the top each time the latter was spun so that it was frequently lost thus rendering the top useless. Another form of spring actuated top required the use of both hands in order to wind up the spring and spin it which was objectionable.

The object of my invention is to provide a spring actuated top wherein the mechanism for operating it is embodied and inclosed in the top. Itis a further object of my invention to provide a top of this class which has no separable parts liable to become lost and which can be spun with one hand.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved top.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ratchet member hereinafter described.

Having reference to the drawings, 1 is the body of my improved top, said body being in most part exteriorly cylindrical but with its lower end made conical to provide a point 2 on which it spins. This form of body is a feature of my invention of importance for the reason that it provides an exterior configuration which adapts the top for whipping. That is, after the top has been started spinning it may be kept in motion by striking it with the flexible lash of a whip.

The body 1 is made with a chamber 2 within which is arranged a coiled spring 3 .surrounding a stem or shaft 4 to which the upper end of said spring is attached by being inserted in a hole 5 formed transversely in place. This disk 7 is made with a central aperture 9 through which the stem 4 extends loosely so that it is .bothrotatable and end-. wise movable. Surroundingthe aperture 9 uponthe under side of the. disk 7 is. apluralityof recesses 10 shaped to provideshoulders 11 that cooperate with a pin 12 .pro-.

jectinglaterally from stem 4. The spring 8 is incorporated in the top underslight endwise compression so thatit yieldingly, urges the stemwl upward. with thepin 12 held against the inner side oif the ratchet disk 7. At its lower end the stem 4 projects :into a centrally disposedrecess 13 within which it is free .to rotate and also move endwise to a limited extent.

My improved top is operated as follows: The spring 3 is wound up by rotating the stem 4 while the body 1 is held immovable, the endwise thrust of the spring causing the pin 12 to engage the ratchet disk or member 7 each time the stem 4 is turned to hold said spring against unwinding. When the spring is wound up sufficiently the operator, holding the top with one hand by means of the upper outer end of the stem 4, strikes the point of the top upon the floor, ground or other surface, at the same time pushing downward on the stem sufiiciently to disengage the pin 12 from the ratchet disk 7 whereupon the spring quickly unwinds carrying the body 1 with it. For an instant after disengaging the pin 12 from the ratchet disk 7 the operator maintains his hold upon the stem 4 in order to hold the latter against rotating while the spring is unwinding and rotating the body 1. He should, however, use care to release the stem 4 before the spring is fully unwound otherwise the motion initiated by the release of the spring will be arrested.

As will be clear the top is started spinning in a right hand direction by the spring 3 so that after set in motion it can be be whipped by means of a whip manipulated by the right hand.

The top above described is simple in construction, inexpensive to build and has no separable parts, all of the elements thereof beings permanently connected and insepa-- rable. v V

The body 1 and stem 4 may be made from 'Wood, metal or'any other suitable material.

What I claim is: l. A top of the character described comprising a hollowbody; a stem mounted within said body with provision for rotation and endwisemovement relatively thereto, one end of said stem extending outwardly beyond the top of said body; a laterally extending projection on said stem and within said body; a series of ratchet teeth on the body adapted to be engaged by said projectionyand a single spring within said body having one end thereof connected with the body and the opposite end thereof con nected with said'stem, said spring serving both'to yieldingly urge the stem endwise in a direction to hold said projection in engagement with the ratchet teeth and also to rotate said body when said projection is disengaged from said ratchet teeth by endwise movement of said stem against the pressure ofsaid spring. 7 1

2. A top of the character described comprising a hollow'body made exteriorly cylindrical and having a blunt conical lower end; a stem mounted within said body with provision for rotation and endwise movement relatively thereto, one end of said stem extending outwardly beyond the top of said body; a laterally extending projection on 7 said stem and within said body; a series of ratchet teeth on the body adapted to be engaged by said projection, and a single spring within said body having one end thereof connected with the body and the opposite end thereof connected with said stem,said spring serving both to yieldingly urge the stem endwise in a direction to hold said 7 projection in engagement with the ratchet teeth and also to rotate said body when said projection is disengaged from said ratchet teeth by endwise movement of said stem against the pressure of said spring.

3. A top of the character described made with a hollow body; a coiled spring ar-' ranged within said body; a rotatable and endwise movable stem extending into said body and through said spring to which one CHARLES GARNISS. 

